Social Innovation and Evaluation

During the last 15-20 years, “social innovations” (SIs) have grown both in number and in terminological confusion. Social innovations include initiatives and programs as substantively diverse as micro credit organizations, charter schools, environmental emissions credit

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Philanthrocapitalism?

Philanthropy, most of us presume, is a good thing. Philanthropic foundations seek to make the world a better place. In the US, philanthropic foundations have played an important role in funding, designing and “testing” a

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Just the Facts: Data Collection

Program evaluations entail research. Research is a systematic “way of finding things out.” Evaluation research depends on the collection and analysis of data (i.e., evidence, facts) that indicate the outcomes (i.e., effects, results, etc.) of

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Do Work Teams Work?

“Collaboration” and “teamwork” are the catchphrases of the contemporary workplace. Since the 1980s in the U.S., work teams have been hailed as the solution to assembly line workers’ alienation and disaffection, and white-collar workers’ isolation

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Stakeholders vs. Customers

Rather than “customers,” nonprofits, educational institutions, and philanthropies typically have “stakeholders.” Stakeholders are individuals and organizations that have an interest in, and may be affected by, the activities, actions, and policies of non-profits, schools, and

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A Lifetime of Learning

Pablo Picasso once said, “It takes a long time to become young.” The same may be said about education and the process of becoming educated. While we often associate formal education with youth and early

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Are There Any Questions?

Asking questions is a critical aspect of learning. We’ve previously written about the importance of questions in our blog post “Evaluation Research Interviews: Just Like Good Conversations.” In a recent article, “The Surprising Power of

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Social Innovation and Evaluation

During the last 15-20 years, “social innovations” (SIs) have grown both in number and in terminological confusion. Social innovations include initiatives and programs as substantively

Read More

Philanthrocapitalism?

Philanthropy, most of us presume, is a good thing. Philanthropic foundations seek to make the world a better place. In the US, philanthropic foundations have

Read More

Just the Facts: Data Collection

Program evaluations entail research. Research is a systematic “way of finding things out.” Evaluation research depends on the collection and analysis of data (i.e., evidence,

Read More

Do Work Teams Work?

“Collaboration” and “teamwork” are the catchphrases of the contemporary workplace. Since the 1980s in the U.S., work teams have been hailed as the solution to

Read More

Stakeholders vs. Customers

Rather than “customers,” nonprofits, educational institutions, and philanthropies typically have “stakeholders.” Stakeholders are individuals and organizations that have an interest in, and may be affected

Read More

A Lifetime of Learning

Pablo Picasso once said, “It takes a long time to become young.” The same may be said about education and the process of becoming educated.

Read More

Are There Any Questions?

Asking questions is a critical aspect of learning. We’ve previously written about the importance of questions in our blog post “Evaluation Research Interviews: Just Like

Read More